There’s only a few months left in 2019, which means only a little time left this decade. In the past 10 years we have seen a boom in how popular beards have become. No matter your occupation or hobbies, having a well groomed beard is a fashion statement seen in the same light as a sharp suit or fresh haircut.
It hasn’t always been like this, attitudes to beards and facial hair in general seems to change all the time.
1900 – 1920
At the dawn of the 1900s, beards were a symbol of elegance and style. A well-kept beard was a sign of high society and a signal of masculinity.
Unlike today, there were countless styles as many men sought to have a unique beard. Beards were all shapes and sizes, with sections cut or trimmed meticulously, the aim was for the beard to be as distinctive as your personality.
1920 – 1940
As un-remarkable as these years were in the annals of history, the same is true of beard culture. Maybe it means something, as in these decades facial hair was seen as unkempt for young men. It was reserved by the older generations and seen as outdated.
1940 – 1960
Although fairly uncommon, we seen a resurgence in the prominence of facial hair during the 1940s and 1950s. The gradual beginnings of acceptance were due in part to the spread of “pop” culture, as many bands, artists and movements at the time accepted the beard and mustache, making it a bit easier to stroll into work unshaven.
1960s
For most, a clean shaven look was a must-have in the workplace. Beards, mustaches and facial hair were taken over by the counter-culture movement and used as a sign of rebelliousness. In addition, we seen a meteoric rise of the goatee, especially in the art and creative scenes. These were not styles for the office, however, and most public-facing work positions frowned upon anything other than a mustache.
1970s
Just like the 30s led to a resurgence in the 40s, that’s what happened in even more extraordinary fashion in the 70s. Beard styles, grooming and style were more important than ever before. We also seen the introduction and public acceptance of beard products – hair care just for men was a new boom.
The huge acceptance was also due in part to bands at the time. No longer regulated to alternative music styles. It seems like every pop band around the world had a token bearded or mustached member.
1980 – 2000
If you conjure up images of these two decades in your mind, it’s a given a few stills of corporate culture appearing- a suited man with a briefcase speaking on a phone similar to the size of his skull… and a clean shaven face.
The rise of political conservatism gave rise to a clean shaven face, but as the decade progressed we seen and pushed the ideal that men with facial hair were limited to work in music or movies. On the other side, mustaches were seen with acceptance in the marketplace since we had a decade of the most iconic mustaches ever. Tom Selleck, Geraldo, ZZ Top anyone?
The broad acceptance the mustache gave way to the beard in the late 90s (we see a pattern emerging here).
2000-2020
This is us! After the soul patches died out, facial hair style became more and more popular. It came into permanent fashion, right up until today where your beard can be as important as the suit you wear.
Especially in the past 7 years, a good looking beard is a sign of discipline and hygiene. Musicians, actors, political leaders, a well looked after beard is a statement on your personality and self-care. It was around this time that we decided the entire beard care industry was lacking, and we worked tirelessly to create JC Grooming. It took years of research, testing and trying but everything in our line of beard products is 100% natural. We use only organic ingredients carefully crafted to clean, strengthen and encourage steady beard growth.
We hope you had fun reading a quick roundup on over a whole century! If you have any questions or want to get more info, take a look at our Facebook or Instagram pages where we post grooming tips and interesting info every day.
- To get a jump start on growing your beard, have a look at JC Grooming’s all-natural beard oils, balms and butters.
- If you are worrying about beard itch, we wrote a guide on how to combat it. Check it out here.
- For general tips on your first weeks growing a beard, watch our video guide on the JC Grooming Youtube channel.
